Multiscale Patterning of a Biomimetic Scaffold Integrated with Composite Microspheres

摘要

The ideal scaffold for regenerative medicine should concurrently mimic the structure of the original tissue from the nano- up to the macro-scale and recapitulate the biochemical composition of the extracellular matrix (ECM) in space and time. In this study, a multiscale approach is followed to selectively integrate different types of nanostructured composite microspheres loaded with reporter proteins, in a multi-compartment collagen scaffold. Through the preservation of the structural cues of the functionalized collagen scaffold at the nano- and micro-scale, its macroscopic features (pore size, porosity and swelling) are not altered. Additionally, the spatial confinement of the microspheres allows the release of the reporter proteins in each of the layers of the scaffold. Finally, the staged and zero-order release kinetics enables the temporal biochemical patterning of the scaffold. The versatile manufacturing of each component of the scaffold results in the ability to customize it to better mimic the architecture and composition of the tissues and biological systems.